Optical data storing disks having a diameter of 130 millimeters (mm) have been housed in cartridges fabricated from plastic materials that are relatively thick. Each cartridge typically has two plastic halves or panels either cold phase bonded or bolted together. Access openings are provided for transducing access to a contained data storing disk. American National Standards Institute and the International Standards Organization have established standards for fabricating such cartridges to facilitate interchange of information between using parties.
It is desired to provide a less expensive cartridge for data storing disks of all types that is capable of meeting the requirements of data interchange afforded by the above-referenced standards. Such less expensive cartridge is particularly suitable for those data storing disks that will be accessed only infrequently during their respective life times. Examples of such data storing disks are software (programming, data bases and the like) distribution disks and data archiving disks.